Are 5/6 GCSE grades more suited to A levels or BTECS?

[NoToMisogyny]

Getting close to the 11th hour now - my daughter is waiting for her grades on Thursday and then (if she gets the minimum grades for both) has to decide between A Levels (media studies, drama, psychology) at her current school or BTECs (she’s keen on one subject - performing arts - but is finding it very hard to muster up any interest in any others) at a college where she has been offered a place.

She’s still totally unsure what she should do if she gets (as expected) a clutch of 5s and 6s. That would meet the minimum requirement for A Levels, but is that really good enough for A level study? Both of us worry about her being out of her depth if everyone else has 7-9s.

But before school closed she really upped her game and was getting 7s in her essays, particularly in English Lit. She’s leaning towards sixth form being her preference (and ultimately it will be her choice) but I really don’t want her to end up struggling.

Does anyone have any advice please? We don’t personally know anyone who is expecting similar grades - all her friends are super academic!

The sixth form is selective. Sixth forms often are!

My daughter's sixth form was more selective than the local 6th form college. It is the only school in the LA that has a 6th form. They "manage out" students who are under-performing because it affects their statistics.

Those of DD's peers who passed their GCSEs with a C grade didn't do well at A level I'm afraid.

Thanks very much Fallen!

I guess it depends what you consider ‘doing well’ at A levels. Does it really matter if you get 3 Cs if you don’t intend on going to university?

I honestly don’t know.

They didn't even get three Cs

My DS got 4's, 5's and 6's at GCSE - he did a double BTEC and one A level and came out with DD in his BTEC and a C in his A level. I'm overjoyed for him. Good luck to you daughter!

@NoToMisogyny
How did it go today?

My DD sounds very very similar to yours. Wants to do drama but school don’t offer it. Decided on Psychology, biology and law but now find there is a clash so have to swap law with either media, business, finance or sociology.
She hasn’t a clue what to do.
She hasn’t a clue

My DC got 5s and 6s (same amount of each) and is doing three A levels in humanities subjects, where he got 6s. He is working hard and is predicted to get BBC. I suspect CCC is more likely. It’s a hard decision to make, but he is probably (now going into year 13) doing the right subjects for him.

Can I just add a little something.? Do you know about facilitating subjects? They are subjects that universities consider to be of the most worth.
So english, maths, history geography, sciences, etc etc

They don't tend to include things like media etc

Theres a little article here which might be worth a read
www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/a-level-choices/six-things-you-need-to-know-before-making-your-a-level-choices

That’s totally incorrect and very out of date advice pretty.

Facilitating subjects were only ever meant to FACILITATE the widest possible range of future degree subjects for young people who were unsure of what they wanted to study at university when choosing their degree.

Even for those students who had no clue what they wanted to do, only 2 facilitating Subjects were ever needed.

For someone who dies know what university course or apprentiship They want to do in the future it is much more important to choose subjects suitable for that path, that they will enjoy and are likely to do well in.

Rather than a link to a website run by an online student community a link to the Russell Group’s Informed Choices website (who came up with, then scrapped the whole concept of Facilitating Subjects in the first place) might be more useful.

www.informedchoices.ac.uk/

But as the OP’s child isn’t planning university anyway it’s a moot point anyway.

However should she change her mind in the future this is an example of what she could do

Your selection: Drama & Theatre Studies, Media Studies, Psychology

Based on one or more of the subjects you've chosen, these degrees may be open to you

Anthropology
Architecture
Art and design
Business Studies
Childhood Studies
Chinese languages
Classical Studies
Drama
Education / Education Studies
History of Art
Law
Linguistics
Management Studies
Marketing
Media Studies
Nursing and Midwifery
Occupational Therapy
Philosophy
Planning
Politics
Psychology
Religious studies / Theology
Social policy
Sociology
Speech Therapy
These degrees have no essential subjects and may be open to you

Accountancy
Anthropology
Archaeology
Architecture
Art and design
Business Studies
Childhood Studies
Chinese languages
Classical Studies
Drama
Finance
History of Art
Law
Linguistics
Management Studies
Marketing
Media Studies
Nursing and Midwifery
Philosophy
Planning
Politics
Religious studies / Theology
Social policy
Sociology

Thank you again for all info and advice!

DD did very well and got 7, 3x 6s 3x5 and a 4 in French (which she always hated). She has chosen (and it was always her choice) to stay on at school to do A levels in Psychology, Media Studies and RE (the latter she got the 7 in and has performed consistently very well in, getting a 7 in her mock too, so we know it was a fair result).

She enrolled yesterday and was advised by her teacher that she would be more than capable of doing the maths involved in Psychology. So we shall see!

I was very surprised that she was so delighted to have qualified for A levels at school, but she was very excited and happy about it. Even if she is already suffering from imposter syndrome a bit!

Just wanted to pop on and echo what come said about facilitating subjects!

Congrats to DD on her results and ignore silly people on other threads who attempt to diminish them.

If you are still here yellow : business or sociology, not finance.

Yay NoToMisogyny! My DD is quite similar in her choices: Eng Lit, Psychology and Film Studies.

Piggywaspushed
Thanks, she went with Business

My Dd had a mix of As Bs and Cs at GCSE and was undecided whether to do BTEC or stay on for A levels in subjects she didn't really have a passion for ( also A level subjects would have been quite essay heavy)
She has dyslexia and dyscalculia so she decided to do BTEC business as this suited her learning style ...got DDD , went on to study HR/ Business at Uni ( with placement year ) and graduated last year with a First
Good luck to your Dd

Oooh, Film. The best subject! slight bias

Excellent Piggy! All alien to me. At least I can be useful with the Psychology!